Looking to Autoethnography as Spiritual Practice

• Published in: Religions (Basel, Switzerland ) Vol. 13; no. 8; p. 699
• Main Author: Bilgen, Wendy Anne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.07.2022
• Subjects: Autoethnography; Buber, Martin; Evaluation; I-Thou connection; Religion; Religious life; spiritual connection; Spirituality; Theologians; Theology; Works; Writing; United States
• ISSN: 2077-1444; 2077-1444
• DOI: 10.3390/rel13080699

In this autoethnographic account, I explore through creative analytic practice (CAP) how autoethnography has become a practice for spiritual connection. Inspired by Martin Buber’s I-Thou philosophy, I discuss how autoethnographic encounters have the potential to emulate what is characterized by Buber as encounters with an Eternal Thou. In Buber’s conceptualization, when an individual I encounters a Thou, in a dialogical relationship of mutual honor and embrace of shared humanity, an Eternal Thou encounter is experienced. The qualities of the I-Thou encounter are mirrored in autoethnography as the autoethnographer (I) and the reader/participant (Thou) share a numinous, sacred, spiritual exchange. Processes inherent to autoethnographic work enable the conditions wherein the sacredness of I-Thou encounters are nourished. I invite the reader to wonder with me about the ways that authentic, vulnerable, and critical engagement with one’s own story paves the way for I-Thou experiences to be ignited and imaginative possibilities multiplied so that individual and social transformation might follow. Finally, I question whether autoethnography might help fill a gap in our current spiritual research paradigms.